Who in childhood did not read the works of F. Cooper, M. Reed and other writers whose novels were full of exciting adventures, the heroes of which were the pale-faced conquerors of the Wild West and the red-skinned masters of the prairie. One of them - the Comanches (Indians), whose history for 170 years is connected with the incessant struggle against the civilization approaching them, gained fame as the most prominent representatives of this unique ethnic group.
Aliens from the Rockies
Comanches are Indians who are the original inhabitants of the North American continent. They take their origin from the southern group of Shoshone - a people who once lived in the eastern part of the current state of Wyoming. Once controlling significant lands, today they are located mainly in Oklahoma.
It is known that in the XVII-XVIII century, the result of the active colonization of America by Europeans was the forced migration of Comanche tribes from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains (now the western part of the USA and Canada) to the banks of the North Platte River,flowing through the territories of the modern states of Nebraska, Wyoming and Colorado.
About this time, the Comanche learned to use horses for riding, and this largely spurred them to start moving. According to some reports, the number of their tribes at the beginning of the 19th century reached 10-12 thousand people.
A people ready to fight
For a long time, scientists cannot come to a common opinion about the origin of the name of the Comanche tribe. There are different points of view on this matter, but the most common of them boils down to the fact that it is derived from the Uto-Aztec word "commantia", which means "enemies" in translation, or, to be more precise, "He who always ready to fight me.”
It should be noted, however, that the Jutes used this term to denote in general all their neighbors with whom they were at enmity. Among them were the Kiowas, the Cheyennes, the Arapaho tribes, and other prairie dwellers. But, it so happened historically that their main opponents were still Comanches - Indians who expanded their possessions by capturing foreign territories.
Snakes crawling on their own trail
It is characteristic, however, that in the vastness of the Southern Plains, among their other inhabitants, the Comanches were often referred to as "snakes". One of their current leaders, Kuana Parker, cites an old legend to explain this, telling how once in ancient times his fellow tribesmen went in search of new hunting grounds. It so happened that on the way of their migration there was a mountain range, whichshould have crossed, but many of the Indians felt it was wise to turn back, as they believed that not everyone could endure the hardships of a long ascent.
At the council of the tribe, the then leader reproached them for cowardice and dubbed them snakes moving back in their wake. According to another version, the Indians were forced to turn back by numerous packs of wolves that lived in those parts. In any case, this nickname proved tenacious, and was picked up by many enemies of the Comanches.
Unsurpassed Wars
There is an opinion that among other Indian tribes that once inhabited the territory of the Southern Plains, it was the Comanches who were the most warlike. From the moment of their appearance in these lands, they constantly waged enmity both with other red-skinned inhabitants, and with pale-faced aliens who appeared a little later.
It is no coincidence that the Comanches went down in history as recognized fighters of the Southern Plains, who for a long time terrified all the settlers who dared to settle in their territories. Having mastered riding relatively late, they very soon achieved extraordinary mastery in it. Just as quickly, the Indians learned to use the French guns that fell into their hands, aiming accurately and reloading with extraordinary speed.
From the memoirs of a combat officer
US Army officer Richard Dodge, who actively participated in the Indian Wars of the second half of the 19th century, called them "modern Spartans" in his memoirs. About the Comanche Indians, the author writes that they never surrendered and keptpresence of mind until death. The same fully applies, according to him, to women. On the Southern Plains, the Comanches were the only red-skinned tribe that managed to resist the expansion of white colonialists for almost 170 years.
Further, Richard Dodge writes that, preferring death to captivity, the Comanche themselves never captured those they fought. An exception was made only for women and children. Moreover, if the child was still very young, then he was adopted by the warrior who captured him, and, growing up in a new family, he began to consider him his father. The number of such captured and raised children determined the status of a member of the tribe and ex alted his military merits.
According to many who communicated with the red-skinned inhabitants of the Southern Plains, the Comanches are warrior Indians, who at the same time are not devoid of business qualities. An example of this is the widely developed trade in horses, which in that era was the main means of transportation. This should be especially noted, since the Indians themselves mastered horse breeding much later than many other peoples.
Teetotalers from the Wild West
Another characteristic feature of the Comanches is their categorical refusal to drink alcohol. It is a historical fact that the violation of Prohibition was equated by them with the most serious crimes, and the perpetrator was subjected to the most severe punishment, up to exile. Representatives of other tribes, who willingly bought “fire water” from the pale-faced brothers, they simply despised.
In this regard, the question of the well-knownTV quiz shows: “For what ailment did the Comanche Indians use cactus tincture?”, which suggested the answer - from a hangover, loses its meaning and falls into the category of idle fiction. A teetotaler, as you know, is not threatened with a hangover.
Five Independent Comanche Tribes
In terms of their structure, the Comanches were Indians, who were not a single people, but were a collection of separate, independent tribes, each of which consisted of several communities. Only the most numerous tribal formations had their own permanent names, which thus allowed them to be preserved on the pages of history.
At the end of the 18th century, the Spaniards, who colonized a significant part of New Mexico, conditionally divided them, in accordance with the areas of residence, into three independent branches - southern, northern and central. In general, researchers distinguish five main tribes that lived on the territory of the Southern Plain in the second half of the 19th century and were divided into Penateks, Kotsoteks, Nokoni, Yampariks and Kwahadi. It will be very interesting to dwell on each of these tribes in more detail.
About the "honey eaters"
The name of the first of the listed groups - penateki - is translated from their native language as "honey eaters". Today it is difficult to say whether it was based on their gastronomic preferences, or whether it contained only a poetic metaphor. It is known about this tribe that it was the most numerous among all others and the first to face the white colonizers.
As the Penateks themselves say, once upon a timetheir ancestors, migrating across the expanses of the prairies, went so far south that they have since lost contact with other Comanches. By the way, there is an indelible stain on their reputation - in the 19th century, despite all their vaunted independence, they actively helped the US Army to wage war against their relatives.
Bison lovers and their restless neighbors
The consotheques are next on the list above. Unlike the sweet-toothed Penateks, they were “buffalo eaters,” at least as the name of their tribe is translated. Little is known about these gourmets. Only evidence has survived that they lived between the Red River and Rio Pecos, and their number reached 7-8 thousand people.
Their closest neighbors were the Nokoni Indians. In Uto-Aztecan, it means "those who turn". The members of the tribe fully justified their name, since they constantly wandered and, according to everyone who de alt with them, they were distinguished by a very restless character. At one time, the governor of New Mexico wrote that they were most likely to be found in the territory between the Arkansas and Red Rivers, and that they represent the central branch of the local Comanches.
Two more related tribes
About the Yampariki tribe (Eaters of the Yampa River) can also be said little. They lived on the banks of the above river, and like all Comanches, the Indians of this tribe were extremely militant, which caused their constant conflicts with others.
And, finally, the last of the listed groups -quahadi. This name translates as "antelope", and it was not given by chance, since the tribe roamed the endless plains, which were the favorite habitat of these animals.
The image of the Indians in modern popular culture
From the period of the Americans' exploration of the Wild West, its red-skinned inhabitants have not left the pages of adventure novels. Apaches, Iroquois, Magican and, of course, Comanche became their constant characters. Indians are also the heroes of many adventure films. Among them, a special genre stood out and gained considerable popularity - the western, which includes plots where the cowboy and the red-skinned inhabitants of the wild prairies are indispensable participants. Films about Indians such as Comanche Moon, Chingachgook the Big Snake, McKenna's Gold and many others gained great fame in their time.
Warriors of bygone times
The original photos of the Comanche Indians featured in this article are mostly from the late 19th century and show these native Americans in their natural environment. Today, the descendants of the former owners of the prairie can be found, as mentioned at the beginning of the article, in the state of Oklahoma, where they settle in specially designated reservations. Those of them who could not or did not want to adapt to the conditions of modern civilization retain their former way of life and earn good money by becoming part of the tourism industry.
